dairy free

I’m going to come clean here and admit something that I am not very proud of. Over the past month or so I have produced an overwhelming amount of non-paleo, non-glutenfree, full sugar, overly creamfilled, milk chocolate loving desserts. Real talk. I fell off the paleo baking wagon and I fell hard. I made the unfortunate decision of looking past my well loved coconut nectar flour and falling into the contraband arms of plain ol granulated sugar delights.

If you love eggnog but are now eating paleo or even just dairy-free, this eggnog is for you! It is stupid simple to make and only requires 4 ingredients! Eggs, coconut sugar, almond milk and nutmeg. 5 if you want the adult version ;)

I'm standing next to my friend Vijitha as she explains the ins and outs of making a traditional spiced milk tea known as masala chai. The aroma of the simmering spices and strong black tea is intoxicating. I watch as Vijitha strains out the spices and returns the remaining pot of tea to the stove. She adds sugar, a cup or two of milk and brings the tea back to a simmer. Once Vijitha determines the tea is ready, she ladles it into some mugs and hands one to Patrick and me.

Deep in the icy recesses of my freezer, sat an unopened costco-sized box of edamame. The origins of this box of edamame remained unknown for the three or four years it sat in there. Periodically I'd uncover it, glare at it, and cover it back up. I had no idea why we had it or what to do with it. Patrick had long since sworn off of soy so he definitely wasn't itching to open it.

Did you know we are offering gluten free, dairy free, and egg free gingerbread houses as part of our Gluten-free Holiday Survival Kit? The kit includes the house, two ginger folk, and a ginger christmas tree. The kit also includes gluten-free candy that you can use to pimp out your very own house! If you haven't ordered your kit yet, you have until December 16th to do so!

One of our employees, Natalie, had some fun pimping out her very own gingerbread house and was kind enough to share her writeup!

"Another great dinner with the Paleo Cooking Club... If you call it a club, people will want to join." So read my friend's status on facebook.

And she was right. As soon as she called it a club I wanted in. I wanted to know the secret handshake, get the matching t-shirt, and memorize and recite our mission statement. This cooking club was particularly appealing because we knew we could count on the dinner being gluten free. Win!

"Take away the milk, the eggs, the butter, and what do you have left? A great tasting cake that became popular after the stock market crash of 1929."

Born in 1928, my grandmother was 1 years old when the stock market crashed. I'd only heard bits and pieces from her of what it was like to grow up in that time. I did know that as a result of being a child of the depression (as I'd heard her refer to herself), she'd learned to be thrifty and make do with what she had both in and out of the kitchen. Growing up I remember how she never wasted ingredients in the kitchen.

When I'm in need of inspiration, I frequently walk the farmers markets. It's a very sensual experience. I smell the different herbs, the flowers, and even the kettle corn. I feel the rough edges of a prickly cucumber, the smooth flesh of an heirloom tomato, and the fuzzy skin of a ripe peach. And of course the colors of freshly plucked fruits and veggies are vibrant with life.

The chimichurri sauce adorning these grilled rib-eyes is a classic Argentinean sauce made of herbs, garlic, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. A touch of red pepper flakes adds a subtle kick of heat that works well on beef, chicken, pork, or even fish!

A few weeks ago, I had dinner up at my grandmother's house. My uncle Andy, a grilling master, was cooking us up some steaks. To accompany the perfectly grilled filets, he made a chimichurri sauce.